Lamp



C. MAINS ET AL `lune 11, 1929.

LAMP

v Filed April 4, 1928 aucun? Frac/erick gaffe/'7er Patented June 11,1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES MAINS AND FREDERICK BATTEIGER, VOlie" COLUMBUS,OHIO.

LAMP.

Application led April 4,

This invention relates to an improved lamp base, and has for its primaryobject the provision of a lamp base which, when not in use, may befolded or collapsed into extremely compact form to permit the base to bereadily carried from place to place and in a Convenient and space savingmanner.

It is an outstanding object of the present invention to provide acollapsible or foldable lamp standard or base adapted especially for theconvenience of the travelling public, for the purpose of enabling thelat* ter to be provided with an eiiieient, light weight portable lampwhich maybe used effectively when actively positioned for any desiredpurpose, but which when not in use may be stored away in a traveling bagor other luggage carrier without requiring any considerable roomtherein.

In accordance with the present invention a lamp base or standard isprovided which possesses approximately the diameter of an ordinaryincandescent lamp socket. The base is of tubular construction and isadapted to receive a plurality of foldable leg members, which when thelamp is in operation, assume extended or projected positions to comprisea base enlargement by means of which stability is imparted to the lampwhen the latter up for use, the relationship, however, between the legsand the tubular standard beingr such that when the lamp is not in usethe legs are folded into the tubular standard and are disposed withinthe confines of the latter for the purpose of providing economyyinstorage space.

lVith these and other objects -in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in.

the novel features of construction, combinations of elements andarrangements of parts, hereinafter fully described and pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanyingr drawings:

Figure l, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection of a lamp standard constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, the legs of the standard being shown in their extendedpositions,

Figure 2 is a similar view disclosing the legs of the standard in theircollapsed or withdrawn position,

192B. Serial No. 267,155.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure l,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View through the lower portion of thelamp base. Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1designates the lamp base or standard comprising the present invention.The base comprises a. tubular standard 2, preferably formed from thinsheet brass and which has its exterior surfaces suitably lacquered orotherwise ornamented to present an attractive appearance. The standard 2is of substantially uniform diameter throughout `the length thereof, andit will be observed. that the diameter of the standard conformsapproximately to that of an ordinary bulb socket or base 3, which iscarried by the upper part of thestandard 2. It will be appreciated thatthe socket 2l is of conventional form, and may be provided with theusual switch plunger et for Athe purpose of controlling the passage ofcurrent to an associated incandescent lampI adapted to be carried asusual in the socket 3, although when the lamp is being taken from placeto place the incandescent bulb ordinarily is not carried as an integralpart of the lamp.

Connected with the lower' part of the socket 3 is a boss which isinternally threaded for the reception of the upper end of a conduit 6.The lower end of this conduit is received within a disk 7 which servesto close vthe lower end of the standard 2.

. The disk 7 is secured rigidly to the standard by means of screws ortheir equivalents 8. A current conveying cable 9.is adapted to passthrough the conduit G, and the upper end of the cable 9 is connectedwith the socket 3 in the usual manner, the outer end of the cable isalso connected with a plug 10 of conventional form which is adapted tobe inserted in a lampsocket, not shown. The cable 9 is of any suitablelength and is adapted to be wrapped around the exterior of the standard2 when the lamp is not in use. Y

Arranged within the standard 2 and slid-- ably mounted upon the conduit(3 is a spool 1l. The lower head 12 of this spool has its Yperipheralportion provided with spaced Cir notches 13, and between these notchesthere is formed a projection 14. The projections 14 are adapted to bepositioned within bearing openings 15 provided in the upper yend of aplurality of curved leg sections 16 which leg sections, as shown in.Figure 2, are adapted to be positioned within the standard 2 when thelamp is not in active use. The leg sections are gradually curved andhave their outer ends circularly bent as at 17 to provide a supporting`base for the' yhelically between the washer 2O and the up- It will beseen per head of the spool 11. that the action of the spring 21 .is toforce the washer 20 downwardly. This imparts fr'ictional pressure to theleg sections which serves to positively maintain the latterin eithertheir collapsed or extended positions. For example, as shown in Figure1, the Washer 2Q is forcing downwardly on the laterally bent ends of theleg sections with suflicient pressure so that the leg sectionsfulerumabout the projections 14 and come int-o frictional contact withthe beveled walls 19 and the lower edges of the standard 2. By thisarrangement the leg sections are positively maintained in their extendedor spread positions, providing an enlarged base area for the lamp sothat when the latter is deposited on a table or other form of support itwill possess all necessary stability present in the customary table typeof lamp. lVhen the leg sections are collapsed or folded, as shown inFigure 2, the spring 21 presses upon the upper ends of said leg sectionswith sufhcient pressure to positively maintain said leg sections in suchcollapsed or folded positions. If desired, the conduit VG may besurrounded by means of a weak spring 22 of considerably less strengththan the major spring 21. The spring 22 also assists in maintaining theleg sections in their collapsed positions but does not interfere withthe opening or extending of said leg sections to assume the positiondisclosed in Figure 1.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that the present inventionprovides a lamp standard or base which when not in use will occupy but aminimum of space and may be conveniently stored and carried in anordinary travelling bag. The construction of the lampstandard is such asto present no sharp projections or jointed parts so that there will benothing about the lamp to tear or catch into fabrics or garments whichmay be also carried in the same travelling bag as the lamp. To place thelamp base in use it is merely necessary to draw outwardly on the legsections, which can be very easily accomplished and by the provision ofthe spring arrangement described such leg sec tions will be lockedautomatically in their extended positions. lVhile we have described whatwe consider to be the preferred form of the present invention,nevertheless it will be understood that variations in construction andarrangement from that herein specifically described may be made withoutdepartingy from the scope and spirit of the invention, as the latter hasbeen expressed in the following claims.

lVliat is claimed is:

1. A lamp base comprising a standard of hollow tubular form, a bulbsocket carried by the upper end of lsaid standard, a closure havingperipheral slots positioned in the opposite ends of said standard, aconduit extending between said closure and said bulb socket, a spoolslidably mounted upon said conduit, and a plurality of pivotally movablelegs carried by said spool, said legs being arranged to project throughthe slot in `said closure.

2. A lamp base comprising a hollow tubular standard, a socket memberpositioned in the upper end of said standard, a disk located in thelower end of said standard, said disk being provided adjacent to itsperiphery -with spaced slots, a conduit arranged axially within saidstandard and uniting said socket member with said disk, a spool slidablymounted upon said conduit and arranged within said standard, and aplural ityof foldable leg sections carried by said spool and movable inunison therewith, said leg sections `being adapted to project throughthe slots in said disks.

8. A lamp base comprising a hollow standard, a socket member adapted forthe reception of an incandescent bulb secured 'to the upper endV of saidstandard, said standard conforming substantially to the diameter of saidsocket member, a support slidably mounted within said standard, and aplurality of foldable leg sections carried by said support, said legsections being adapted to be received within said standard wheninactively positioned and to project beyond said standard when activelypositioned, and means for yieldingly holding said leg sections in activeto inactive positions.

4t. A lamp base comprising a hollow standard, a bulb socket carried bythe upper end of said standard, a peripherally slotted disk fixed in thelower ends of said standard, a conduit uniting said disk and saidsocket, said conduits being disposed axially spool to maintain the legsections positive- Within said standard, a plurality of leg` seely inactive or inactive positions.

tions extendingY through the slots in said In testimony whereof We aflixour signa 10 disks, a spool slidably mounted on said oontures.

duit and having pivotal connections with said leg sections, and springmeans acting CHARLES MAINS. p

on said leg sections and carried by said FREDERIC-K BATTEIGER.

